I’m very particular when it comes to reviewing drugstore makeup “dupes.” I love drugstore makeup and if life were normal right now, I’d grab a Chick-Fil-A lemonade and take 20 minutes to myself to browse a CVS for nail polish and lip gloss finds. But drugstore dupes aren’t always what they are cracked up to be.

1. Sometimes you aren’t saving THAT much when it comes to drugstore items, especially in items like lipstick. A MAC lipstick can run you anywhere from $13 to $19 {when you price compare different department stores} and some drugstore lipsticks can be $10.99 for a tube. I want to be very certain of quality when I recommend, because it doesn’t matter if you save $3 if you never touch the lipstick or go back to your original tried and true. To me, it’s all about the hunt! Can you find that designer lipstick on sale? Can you find the drugstore dupe?
2. Longevity. Longevity. Longevity. While it is well known in the beauty world big drugstore brands have far more money to research formulation than say a newer “luxe” brand, you can’t ignore longevity in a formula. I have some drugstore dry shampoos {Dove is so good!} that work far better than any luxury brand I’ve tried. But other times, you may try a drugstore lipstick or foundation that hardly lasts before your second cup of coffee in the morning. If you are constantly reapplying are you really saving money?

Okay, you see why I’m picky? Because I don’t want you to throw money away on makeup whether it is $10 or $100. I think we can all agree we’ve had plenty of drugstore AND designer makeup flops. But when you find a dupe or a formula that you are in love with, is that just not the most exciting thing?! It makes me want to grab 3 or 4 and never run out of the product.

Today, I’m sharing a fabulous little dupe, but remember when I mentioned the thrill of the hunt? I may have taken my words a little too far there because these shades can be a little tricky to find. I almost contemplated not sharing this post as there aren’t many in stock {theses shades may be discontinuing or maybe it’s due to everything going on and shipping} BUT we can’t forget formulation. You may not gravitate towards my shade, but I want y’all to be able to find your shade in these formulations that you love!

You may remember back in my Sephora Sale blog post all about my love of Charlotte Tilbury lipstick products. The “Iconic Nude” liner and “Kim KW” lipstick is my favorite nude combination. I buckled down to find a drugstore dupe and I have!

• Maybelline Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner in “Totally Toffee” is a great dupe for the “Iconic Nude” liner. I think I’m the pickiest with liner dupes, as it’s a total texture thing for me. Liner has to not budge, otherwise, why use it?! While this color is low in stock online, I’d pick up one of these the next time you can. I want to try other colors in this formula!
• NYX Simply Nude Lip Cream in “Fairest” is a great dupe for the “Kim KW” lipstick.  Again it is very low in stock, but you can also order here from Walmart.

So while these shades may be going fast, I’d try the liner or lip cream in whatever colors you love next time you are in need of a lip product. The formula, longevity, and pigmentation power is SO similar to that of the designer brand.

What are your favorite dupes for drugstore beauty?! Any shades we should try? Leave in the comments below so we can all go swatch happy!